The Usefulness of Moving Your Set Position On the Mat

 

What is the effect of moving on the mat and making the exact same delivery on a perfectly homogeneous and perfectly flat surface?

An assumption in this analysis is that one can repeat a delivery with exactly the same angle with respect to the center line and with exactly the same velocity. 

If your standard stare point is a spot on the forward bank you cannot use this technique.  Moving on the mat can have only a random effect. Your eyes are not good enough to change your aim point by such a small amount at such a great distance. 

If you are a bowler whose stare point is a physical discontinuity in the bowling surface between 3 and 5  meters in front of the mat, it is theoretically possible to effect a useful change in the finishing location of your bowl.

Suppose you move your anchor foot position 6 inches to the right in a horizontal direction with respect to the front edge of the mat while leaving unchanged the vertical location of your anchor foot. You then select a new stare point precisely six inches to the right of the first one at exactly the same distance in front of the mat line.

The original stare point, the new stare point, the new toe position of your anchor foot, and the old toe position of your anchor foot will now form the four vertices of a narrow parallelogram on the rink surface.

Now, so long as the bowl’s arc and your weight are the same as for the first delivery and so long as you exactly roll the bowl over your new stare point and have the exact same weight, then so long as the rink is perfectly homogeneous and perfectly flat this second bowl will finish 6 inches horizontal distance to the right of your first delivery. 

What this exercise leads one to conclude is that moving on the mat may be an effective strategy for a bowler that sets a stare point closer to the mat but will be futile for someone who aims with respect to a spot on the forward ditch!